Day 9 – Santorini: Le Moustache, Imerovigli, and the Surprise of a Lifetime

Today we slept in until noon – between traveling yesterday and clubbing into the morning I was exhausted. Thankfully today was a chill day. We booked a cabana from 12-4pm at Le Moustache, a restaurant/pool bar in Imerovigli, a 17 minute walk from our hotel.

The views at this pool bar were STUNNING. They had an infinity pool overlooking the calderas and out into the ocean. And the best part – it wasn’t crowded AT ALL, Less than 10 people. I guess this place is a hidden gem in Imerovigli or the high priced cabana and day beds keep the crowds away. The server told us we could stay as late as we wanted until the afternoon reservations started arriving but they would fill in the empty beds first before asking us to leave. Apparently the afternoon or sunset time slot is more popular at this place because he said every cabana was booked later. In my opinion I would be too cold to use the pool once the sun started to go down. It gets VERY windy in Santorini at night and for me the pool is a perfect day vibe.

Since we missed the hotel breakfast this morning, we ordered an early lunch at the pool bar – 2 salads, grilled octopus & a bottle of Rosé. The salads were fresh and delicious, the octopus was just ok.

After lounging around we started chatting with the 2 people who booked the cabana next to us – Frankie and Xenita (Ja-neeta) from Texas. They were two single friends traveling together with some other friends as part of a cruise. Apparently the other friends in their group were doing a day tour of Santorini island, but they just wanted to relax. I told them it gets HOT walking around Santorini during the peak sun hours (we learned that the hard way yesterday) and that they picked the better itinerary for sure. I mean these views were amazing and the pool was SO refreshing. We asked them how the cruise life was and they explained that it was both their first time doing a cruise and basically they stop at 1 island every day but have to get back on the boat by 9pm (They were on Norwegian cruise line). They also have to wait on that horrible cable car line to get back down to their boat (that alone was a 2 hour line yesterday). I have ZERO desire to do a cruise – I need to be on my own schedule on vacation and have time to experience the place that I’m at. To me, trying the local cuisine, drinks, and culture make up a BIG part of that experience and can’t be done in a day or two without feeling rushed. Stelios always said he would consider doing a cruise again but I think after the conversation with Frankie & Xenita he changed his mind and agreed with me. The 4-5 day experience that we’ve had at each island has been perfect so far.

We spent all day lounging at the pool, relaxing, chatting and laughing with the two Texans. Before they left we ordered a round of Mastiha (they never had it before, and to their surprise really enjoyed it). We wished them safe travels back home and we left Le Moustache by 5pm.

We walked back to our hotel to get ready for dinner which was a MUCH easier walk back than going there since it was downhill. Overall Santorini has a lot of steps wherever you go, and it’s very hilly, so if you want to burn some calories while on vacation, walking is the way to go. Tonight we had 7:30 dinner reservations at The Wine Bar in Imerovigli. Tonight’s sunset was going to be even better than last night because it wasn’t hazy out and we had a front row terrace table reserved which was perfect. We ordered a bottle of white Hatzidakis wine and sat back to enjoy the sunset. For dinner we ordered bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms with feta and tomatoes, and their homemade Greek veggie pizza with Halloumi cheese. Every dish melted in your mouth and it was a nice change from the classic Greek dishes we had ordered yesterday. After the sun went down it got chilly and our server offered us blankets which I happily accepted. Most of the nice restaurants in Greece offer you blankets after the sun goes down because it gets chilly, but when in doubt you can wear a light cardigan or denim jacket if you get cold easily.

After dinner we strolled back to our hotel. I really could not get over how incredible tonight’s sunset was. Even the after glow colors of the sky that lingered were incredible.

On the walk back Stelios suggested we go out to the club or to a cocktail bar depending on how we feel…

When we got back to the hotel Stelios handed me the key to open the door and to MY SURPRISE the hallway and room was FILLED with roses and candles. The bed was lined with roses and petals formed into a heart, with a bottle of Santorini wine and two glasses on the bed. It was beautiful, and naturally I started to cry. I was still slightly confused/in shock as to what was happening as Stelios lead me out onto the balcony with the city lights behind us, the moonlight shining on the Aegean Sea and the shadows of the calderas in the background. He sat me down, held my hands, and expressed how much he loves and cares for me in the most thoughtful and beautiful way. (there were a lot of words said but those details will stay between just us😉)

As he was talking he pulled out a jewelry box with a white gold and blue sapphire necklace and matching earrings (the colors of Greece and also Stelios’s birthstone) and he asked me to marry him. With happy tears streaming down my face of course I SAID YES !! He told me when we get to Chios (the island that Stelios is from & where most of his family lives) we are going to a jeweler to pick out our rings together.

I had previously told Stelios that when the time was right I wanted to be involved in the ring selection process because I don’t really wear rings so I have no idea what I would want. To this day I still don’t know what my ring size is LOL, but I’m SO GLAD that we didn’t go “looking for rings” together prior to the trip because I really had NO IDEA this was coming and being this surprised made that moment 1000x better. Also shout out to my parents who knew and didn’t ruin the surprise!!!

So we kissed, celebrated, and decided to keep that night just for the two of us – we would call our families in the morning. It was a night that I will remember forever.

Stelios, αγάπη μου, I am so grateful to be on this journey of life with you. I love you with all my heart and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. σε αγαπώ πάντα❤️